'Unacceptable' level of dog mess in Ingleton

CARELESS canine owners are in the crosshairs of councillors in a Teesdale village.

Walkers in and around Ingleton have faced dog mess on shoes and excrement in pushchair wheels in the past couple of months.

Ingleton Parish Council has received more complaints than usual this year and has sought to act with a firm note in the village newsletter.

Last week’s meeting heard how chairman Cllr Steve Leech suffered at the hands of an ignorant dog owner firsthand coming back from a walk with excrement in his shoes.

After the meeting, Cllr Sandra Parrett said: “We’ve had lots of complaints about dog fouling – not just on the playing field and in the village but on the public footpaths as well.

“It’s such a shame – every time I read the paper I see it and think ‘here we are again’.

“Everybody seems to be having the same problem,” she said.

“We don’t know if it’s the same one or two people who just cannot be bothered. It’s awful and it’s such a shame because we’re all animal lovers – I would never dream of doing it.”

The note in the parish newsletter said the problem had become “serious” and now reached “unacceptable” levels.

Fears over a “health hazard” were also highlighted for both children and adults – with fines of up to £1,000 for offenders reiterated to serve as a deterrent.

Cllr Parrett added that the council was looking for villagers to come to them with cases so they could pass information on to the Durham County Council dog warden.

She added: “I know a lady who has the courage to go over with a bag to say ‘pick it up’ when she’s sees someone.

“We have got quite a lot of dog bins in the village in very accessible areas – it’s a filthy habit and inexcusable.

“Once again the minority are spoiling it for the majority,” she said.

Cllr Parrett said the council was not going as far as “naming and shaming” offenders but was seeking to “open up a conversation” on the problem for the time being.

Cllr Judith Pressley said the winter weather hadn’t helped the situation, however, she did not think the problem was any worse than usual.

She added: “It’s always a problem in every village you go to and it’s mentioned in every meeting.

“We have one or two areas causing a problem on a regular basis – it’s just catching them and educating them.”

An update on fouling will be given at the council’s February meeting.